IAA (IAAI) Vehicle History Report: As-Is Rules Buyers Should Read
IAA sells vehicles as is and tells buyers to get a CARFAX or similar report before bidding. See what registered buyers get.
Enter your VIN. Check the car before you buy.
Identify the vehicle free, then choose whether to buy its reported history.
Title brands · Odometer records · Auction history, where reported
No subscription. No charge to check the VIN. Report contents vary by vehicle; applicable tax is shown at checkout.
See what the paid report includes →IAA’s auction rules (read October 9, 2026) say all vehicles are sold “as is, where is” with no warranty, and that if mileage matters to the buyer, the buyer should obtain a CARFAX or similar report before bidding. The rules also warn that vehicles sold with a clear title may later appear as junk or salvage because of NMVTIS reporting. IAA says registered buyers have access to detailed vehicle reports; guest listings we read showed none. In Canada, IAA includes CARFAX Canada reports on many vehicles.
- Everything sells as is, with no warranty.
- IAA itself tells buyers to get a history report before bidding.
- A clear-title car may later show as junk/salvage via NMVTIS.
- Guest listings showed no report; registered buyers get more.
One VIN. One $14.99 history report.
For $14.99, VIN Lookup delivers an original ClearVIN vehicle-history PDF for the VIN you enter. ClearVIN appears on the DOJ provider list; VIN Lookup resells its report and is not itself listed as an NMVTIS provider. The report may include data beyond the NMVTIS core, but the records returned vary by VIN.
The VIN decode is free. No card is needed until you choose to buy; applicable tax is shown at checkout. A missing record is not proof that an event never happened.Original provider PDF
No subscription
What IAA’s rules say
IAA’s auction rules state that all vehicles are sold as is, where is, with no warranty, and advise buyers who care about mileage or odometer readings to obtain a CARFAX or similar report before bidding. They add that vehicles sold with a clear title may appear as junk or salvage in later reports because of NMVTIS reporting.
IAA’s vehicle-information page says registered buyers have access to detailed reports on each vehicle’s history; a 2019 buyer newsletter said its premium vehicle report provider became AutoCheck. Guest views of two U.S. listings showed no history report.
| Item | IAA’s rule |
|---|---|
| Condition | As is, where is, no warranty |
| History report | Buyer should obtain before bidding |
| Clear-title cars | May later show junk/salvage via NMVTIS |
| Registered buyers | Access to detailed vehicle reports |
| IAA Premium Guest | $7.99/month for extra images and videos |
Why the NMVTIS warning matters
Insurers and salvage auctions report vehicles to NMVTIS. A car sold at IAA with a clear title can therefore carry a junk or salvage record afterwards, which affects resale and registration in some states.
Run an NMVTIS check before bidding and keep the auction documents with the title.
If the IAA listing has no free report
Ask the seller first: dealers usually hold a CARFAX or AutoCheck subscription and can send a current report for the exact VIN. A private seller may not, and a screenshot from a seller is a lead, not proof — the VIN, date and provider must match the car.
If no one supplies one, check title brands and total losses through a DOJ-listed NMVTIS provider (free at Carsforsale.com, $9.98 at Titlecheck.us), recalls at NHTSA and theft at NICB, all free or near it. For auction records, photos and damage descriptions, VIN Lookup sells the original ClearVIN report for $14.99 once, or three for $29.99 when you are comparing several cars.
Buyer checklist
- Read the IAA listing’s title and damage fields.
- Get a history report before bidding.
- Run an NMVTIS check.
- Match the VIN in the listing to the car.
- Check open recalls free at NHTSA.
- Check theft and insurer salvage at NICB VINCheck.
What this research cannot prove
- Platform policies and listing features change; we read them on October 9, 2026, from outside the United States.
- A free report or summary shows only what was reported to its provider.
- Listings we sampled may not represent every listing on the platform.
Sources reviewed
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
Frequently asked questions
Does IAA give a free Carfax?
Not on the U.S. guest listings we read; IAA tells buyers to obtain a CARFAX or similar report before bidding.
Can I return an IAA car?
No. IAA sells all vehicles as is, where is, with no warranty.
Why might a clean-title IAA car show as salvage later?
IAA’s rules warn that NMVTIS reporting can add a junk or salvage record after the sale.
What do registered IAA buyers get?
IAA says registered buyers have access to detailed vehicle history reports.